Your experience with FEC

Terri B · 09-10-2008, 06:31 AM

Wow, this has knocked me for a loop. I would love to read others experiences with it. Nausea, vomiting (i NEVER do that!!) now the constipation is back!!

I'm only on day 3!

The hair will be next, but that's the LEAST of my worries.

Thanks in advance!

AlaskaAngel · 09-10-2008, 09:03 AM

Hi,

I had CAFx6 around 6 years ago. Canada and Europe tend to use CEF whereas at least back then, the US tended to use CAF, but the "E" and the "A" are essentially the same thing. Most folks now get AC followed by TH, or TH, or a similar regimen of those drugs. So there probably will be fewer people here now who know what it is like to have CEF or CAF.

The usual advice applies, maybe more for us than for other regimens. Be sure to take the lorazepam and whatever antinausea medication you get ahead of time. When I had CAF, the only antinausea medication was ondansetron (Zofran). Drink lots of water to wash out the drugs, especially the C, since letting it stick around the bladder any longer than necessary is a bad idea. It is hard to drink the water, so you might have to take sips, or suck on ice chips to accumulate the water more gradually so that you don't upchuck it instead. Do whatever you can to increase your general comfort so that something else doesn't just add to your misery, like make sure you are in a cool enough or warm enough environment. The chills really don't help at all, and the chemo rooms are notoriously chilly so that they don't encourage growth of germs. As you start to improve, use anything you can that is pleasantly distracting to keep your thoughts from returning to what you have been going through -- a DVD you have been wanting to see, a magazine article, a book, anything to keep your mind as busy as possible. You may need compazine in addition. The constipation is a problem I know. I used prunes and prune juice plus roughage and that helped.... a little.

100% sympathetically,

AlaskaAngel

caya · 09-10-2008, 09:52 AM

Terri,

As you can see by my signature, I had 3 x FEC, followed by 3 X Taxotere. Are you getting the anti nausea medication to take - don't be a hero, take it the first few days whether you need to or not - the whole idea with the nausea is to fend it off before it starts, not to play "catch up."
Soda crackers, mild veggie soups, gingerale, ginger tea and jello were the mainstays of my diet the first week or so after the chemo infusion. As for the constipation, AlaskaAngel is right on the money -prunes, prune juice helps, and/or apricots - stay away from bananas. And drink lots of water.
My onc. has been using the FEC chemo for years here in Toronto with great success - good luck Terri.

Gerri · 09-10-2008, 07:41 PM

Hi Terry,

So sorry to hear that the FEC is hitting you so hard. I don't have any experience with that, but I did get major constipation from AC. I started taking two stool softeners the night before chemo and the day of chemo - what a difference! For your nausea do what Caya suggested and take your meds to stay ahead of your nausea. If what you were given doesn't help ask for something else.

Hope you start feeling better soon!

Terri B · 09-11-2008, 06:11 AM

Thanks for the words of comfort. I can always come here and never be disappointed.

I have been religiously taking the anti-nausea meds. They are working for me. I have two kinds: the zofran is not supposed to make me sleepy so i take that during the day. i take the phenerghan at night and i sleep like a baby.

I'm just yuck. sore all over, like i've been beat with a stick. i want to sleep all the time. I feel a bit better today, though.

I also have to "try" not show sis how bad it is. She has enough on her mind and i don't want her to look at me and get totally stressed because that is what she is going to have to go through soon.

God bless you lovely people!!

PinkGirl · 09-11-2008, 07:10 AM

Hi Terri
I had 4 FAC and I remember that it wasn't too much fun.
I had lots of nausea but did not vomit. I was very tired
and my white cell count was very low. My onc. asked me
to stay home, avoid crowds and I was often put on anti-
biotics as a precaution.

The constipation was severe. My chemo nurse told me that
it was caused by the kytril I was taking for nausea. Once I
had the "routine" figured out, I was okay. I took 2 Senekot S
in the morning and 2 more before bed.... and drank lots of water.
I started this the day of the treatment and continued for 4 days.
Keep on top of this because it can be pretty nasty.

I would have the treatment, have two good days, and then the
nausea and fatigue would start. I remember feeling quite good
the week before the next treatment. And my hair fell out three
weeks after the first treatment.

You will get through this.... you will find a way. Take good care
of yourself and get lots of rest.

Terri B · 09-11-2008, 07:16 AM

Yeah, Pinky, i'm all over the stool softeners. I learned that from the first round.

I guess what surprised me the most, was that most people say that the day of treatment arent' bad. Well, i was violently ill the evening of my treatment! the second day wasn't too bad, then the third day was a BIOTCH.

Thanks for being here.

PinkGirl · 09-11-2008, 07:32 AM

I guess we're all different Terri. Most of my chemo-mates were
fine the day of the treatment - it would take a few days to start
feeling crappy. I had my FAC on Tuesdays and then returned on
Thursday for more F. I know I was still feeling okay on Thursday,
other than having my bright red face. By the weekend, I was in bed.

All that matters is that you figure out your schedule. It does make
it a bit easier when you know what you expect.

Vi Schorpp · 09-11-2008, 07:40 AM

We are all different. While PinkGirl took Kytril, I found it made the nausea worse, and I stopped taking it. I was fine without them for some reason. I took my treatment on Friday, and had the week-end to recover. By Sunday I was feeling better. For me, yeast rolls were the only things that didn't make me sick, and I had 2 a day for about the first week. I did find, though, that the chemo was cumulative and by the time I finished my last treatment it took me until Monday to feel good, not Sunday.

Pink is right, water is essential! It will get better, so hang in there.

StephN · 09-11-2008, 11:46 AM

Terri -
Since you need to stay hydrated, herbal teas are a good way to get some help as well as hydration.

There are herbal tea formulations that can do a lot to help the constipation.

I used SMOOTH MOVE and other teas with SENNA.
A couple cups a day and maybe one stool softener, and I was good. I had my worst "plugged" problem when I took Decadron for my brain mets.

Otherwise, you are being very brave and a good example for your dear sister. She may take different drugs and not feel as bad, but that "hit with a stick" feeling is pretty normal with most of the hard chemos.

Christine MH-UK · 09-11-2008, 12:17 PM

I was on dexamethasone, which worked for me but I know some people needed stronger anti-nausea meds. In the worst cases, they put in a device that pumped anti-nausea medicine out. Sour lemon candies helped, too.

I found that the only thing that worked for FEC constipation was something called movicol, also known as Macrogol, but the only place I have ever seen it was a hospital. They used to give it to the elderly cancer patients.

Soccermom2006 · 09-11-2008, 02:59 PM

I loved my EMEND and Aloxi,Terri
Gentle hugs...you WILL get through this! My Onc suggested Milk of Magnesia...or perhaps ask your Onc about using MIRALAX...rectal tears from straining are horrid...
Marcia

Barbara2 · 09-11-2008, 05:28 PM

You have received good advice from the above comments. I had 6 rounds of FEC and became very ill with treatment #5. Had I "only" had 4 treatments, I would not have become so ill. This was back in 2002, so my onc had no plans for taxol or anything else after the 6 rounds of FEC. (I was able to get herceptin 2 years later, though.)

I was usually sickest on day 3, followed by 2 sluggish weeks; by the time 3 weeks had passed and it was time for another treatment, I was feeling much better.

You will be fine. You may feel crummy during the next 4 months, but keep telling yourself it is killing cancer cells, so it will be worth it.

Jackie07 · 09-11-2008, 05:51 PM

Hi Terri,

Sorry that you are suffering from the side effect of FEC. I had 6 rounds of FEC last fall and yes, you are right - it was not fun. My reaction was so bad the first round that when I was hooked up ready for the 2nd round 3 weeks later, I automatically started to vomit.

What I learned afterwards was that I needed to take the anti-emetic medicine regularly according to the prescription. Never wait till you are feeling nauseated - it will be too late.

Do let the staff know how you are feeling. I was given several different sample pills until finally getting a prescription (about the 4th round) that worked for me.

Do you have low MUGA or ECHO? FEC - stands for fluorouracil (5FU); epirubicin (Ellence); and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) - is usually given in place of AC for patients at risk of heart valve problems. Please remember to do moderate exercise regularly to keep your heart in check.

janieR · 09-12-2008, 11:25 AM

Terri

The miracle cure for me with the constipation was Movicol. I suffered very badly for the first 2 fec's back in april 2006 and then I found movicol.

From my third fec I started to have movicol at home just before I went for my fec and then if it could be kept down which I managed by sipping it very slowly I had it at the end of the day. Then I took it twice a day for two days and then I had no more problem.

Hope this helps

Janie

Louise O'Brien · 09-12-2008, 05:51 PM

First of all - take the anti-nausea and steroid medications they give you before treatment. I had three rounds of FEC followed by three rounds of Taxotere.

I learned the hard way. I gave up on the stool softeners and went straight to Senekot and made a point of taking a dose about five days after each treatment. It made a huge difference.

Jinete789 · 10-01-2008, 07:59 AM

I sympathise fully, have just finished 3 X FEC 100 - (I weigh less than 60 pounds so it was one heck of a dose).

Ditto the other comments made - personally the dexamethasone didn't work for me at all, and neither did the second anti-nausea they gave me,(forget the name, but they might as well have been dog worming tablets for all the good they did me) - but luckily the ondansetron did the trick, albeit that the price was royal constipation!

I had to weedle ondansetron out of my onc because here in the UK they always try to give you the cheapest thing first, so my point is, keep on at them until they give you something which works for YOU.

Take care and best wishes
Jin

BethC · 10-02-2008, 09:41 AM

Terry,

I had TCH not FEC but I can relate. Talk to your nurse about getting some stronger anti-nausea meds. Aloxi is given as a pre-med with your chemo and it works for the first 3 days. It is honestly a wonder drug. I don't know if you are already getting it, but if you aren't that might really help you with those first few days when the symptoms are supposedly the most severe.

I had a lot of nausea and the second round we tripled my dexamethazone (which meant I never slept) and added Emend. The addition of those really helped. I still felt bad, but at least I wasn't laying on the floor next to the toilet like I was after the first treatment. Emend is pricey - like $100. It comes in a 3 day pack of pills (something like 2 the first day, 2 the second day and 1 the third day). I asked if I could take it after the Aloxi wore off but evidently it doesn't work that way. You can only take it the first 3 days of chemo for it to work.

Good luck to you. Chemo sucks but you'll get through it.

Love,
Beth